Sprawlbusters Update

October 8, 2003 |

In January Governor Jennifer Granholm (right) looked on as her newly appointed Director of the Department of Transportation, Gloria Jeff, addressed a press conference.

The Institute’s newest staff member, Policy Specialist Charlene Crowell, continues to turn heads and make friendly waves from our new Lansing office. Building on the proposals that Institute Transportation Policy Specialist Kelly Thayer and Executive Director Hans Voss developed in league with our allies in the state capital, Charlene played a pivotal role in negotiations in early August that convinced Governor Granholm’s Michigan Land Use Leadership Council to stick by its original recommendation that the state double its funding for public transportation. She worked closely with the Michigan Department of Transpor-tation, the Michigan Environmental Council, the Michigan Suburbs Alliance, PIRGIM, and several faith-based organizations — the Michigan Catholic Conference, the Archdiocese of Detroit, and MOSES. The next challenge: Persuading the Republican-led state Legislature — which forced the Democratic governor to restore funding to half of the paving projects she vetoed, while being unusually hostile to road repair and public transportation this spring and early summer — to fund more transit choices beyond all that pavement they so dearly love.

Charlene also continues to work with our allies around the state to guide the development of the Transportation Summit that MDOT Director Gloria Jeff scheduled for December in Lansing.

PROSPEROUS FARMS

Another Star Performance Institute Agriculture Project Manager Patty Cantrell was all smiles, grins, and high-fives when she landed the big name she’d been seeking for the keynote address at the Seeds of Prosperity conference she’s organizing for November 11 to 13: State Economic Development Director David Hollister. Mr. Hollister’s vast experience — including 18 years as a state legislator and a very successful stint as Lansing’s mayor, where he successfully championed urban revitalization — makes him a perfect choice to speak about how developing more farming entrepreneurs is key to protecting farmland, reviving cities, and achieving the state’s goal of becoming an economic magnet.

Between flurries of phone calls to organize the conference, Patty has also been flexing her mighty pen. She worked with Institute intern Sarah Morris on editorial replies to articles in both The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press that covered the current difficult state of Michigan’s farm economy without once mentioning entrepreneurial agriculture. Patty also made the cover of the Michigan Society of Planning’s official magazine with an article about townships that have adjusted their zoning ordinances to help agricultural entrepreneurs become more profitable. The article, “Adjusting the Zone Defense,” is posted in the Growth Management archives of our Web site, www.mlui.org.

REFRESHING SPACES

Water, Water Everywhere But…

Four Institute-produced water fact sheets are now online at www.mlui.org.

Our region is blessed with the planet’s largest supply of fresh water. But taking it for granted is a very dangerous strategy, particularly given the increasing shortages that are showing up around the rest of the country, the planet, and in the Great Lakes Basin itself. Our man on the waterfront, Andy Guy, recently completed researching and writing four “water fact sheets” for the National Wildlife Federation. Entitled “Code Red in a Blue Water Basin,” the sheets look at specific water quality and quantity problems throughout the Great Lakes region and recommend steps states can take to protect their immense treasure trove of liquid gold from exploitation. NWF is distributing copies to its member organizations throughout the basin; the entire series is posted on our Web site, www.mlui.org.

Following his own advice, Andy is now working with grassroots activists in Monroe, Saginaw, Oakland, and Mecosta counties — regions already facing problems due to unregulated, industrial-strength water withdrawals — to motivate Lansing lawmakers who seem remarkably unconcerned about building some genuine protection of Michigan’s groundwater supply into state law. Eighteen months ago, when Republican state Senator Ken Sikkema’s Great Lakes Task Force issued over 60 recommendations that would protect the state’s lakes, streams, wetlands, and underground aquifers, they were greeted with wide acclaim in Lansing. But little has happened in the Republican-led Legislature since then, other than decisions to study the well-documented problems further and allow Great Lakes waterfront property owners to destroy the water-filtering, wildlife-protecting vegetation that springs up when the lakes are at their low points. Andy’s extensive reporting on this urgent issue is posted at our Web site.

It was much more than an academic exercise, although it involved key leaders of the state’s educational system. The Institute’s Mac McClelland led a gathering of 24 people, including architects, school board members, historic preservationists, chambers of commerce members, state government and legislative leaders, and representatives of schools and municipal associations. This strikingly disparate group assembled at the Michigan Chamber of Commerce’s Lansing office to discuss Mac’s preliminary findings about the effect the location of new school buildings is having on communities and land use. He reports that the discussion was lively and thoughtful and helped shape the final list of recommendations for encouraging schools to work more carefully with the communities they serve to focus their construction plans in ways that help preserve their downtowns, rather than build new facilities in places that encourage sprawl. Mac’s special report, produced by the Institute in association with the Michigan Chamber, arrives in members’ mailboxes in October.

What does one do when a county decides to ignore its own master plan and locate some of its crucial facilities in a remote, rural location guaranteed to trigger more sprawl? Organize! And that’s just what Institute Planner Jim Lively is doing in Leelanau County. The county board of commissioners wants to build a new jail far from where the current one resides, in the county seat, Leland. Some commissioners even want to move the county courthouse out of Leland as well, which would indeed be a very powerful sprawl spreader. Eighty people showed up for an information meeting organized by the Institute and expressed their concern about the idea. The Institute will continue to work with like-minded citizens to advocate that Leelanau’s crucial public facilities, especially its courthouse, remain a community center.

Caption: Hartman Elementary School and two other historic schools in downtown South Haven are closing in favor of new sprawl schools at the edge of town.

THRIVING CITIES

MLUI/Gary Howe

Hartman Elementary School and two other historic schools in downtown South Haven are closing in favor of new sprawl schools at the edge of town.

It was much more than an academic exercise, although it involved key leaders of the state’s educational system. The Institute’s Mac McClelland led a gathering of 24 people, including architects, school board members, historic preservationists, chambers of commerce members, state government and legislative leaders, and representatives of schools and municipal associations. This strikingly disparate group assembled at the Michigan Chamber of Commerce’s Lansing office to discuss Mac’s preliminary findings about the effect the location of new school buildings is having on communities and land use. He reports that the discussion was lively and thoughtful and helped shape the final list of recommendations for encouraging schools to work more carefully with the communities they serve to focus their construction plans in ways that help preserve their downtowns, rather than build new facilities in places that encourage sprawl. Mac’s special report, produced by the Institute in association with the Michigan Chamber, arrives in members’ mailboxes in October.

What does one do when a county decides to ignore its own master plan and locate some of its crucial facilities in a remote, rural location guaranteed to trigger more sprawl? Organize! And that’s just what Institute Planner Jim Lively is doing in Leelanau County. The county board of commissioners wants to build a new jail far from where the current one resides, in the county seat, Leland. Some commissioners even want to move the county courthouse out of Leland as well, which would indeed be a very powerful sprawl spreader. Eighty people showed up for an information meeting organized by the Institute and expressed their concern about the idea. The Institute will continue to work with like-minded citizens to advocate that Leelanau’s crucial public facilities, especially its courthouse, remain a community center.